Faith-based Murder of Autistic Boy -- Bush sure has great ideas...

[AngryWhiteLiberal]

Leaders were trying to heal boy who died during prayer, pastor says

MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin (AP) --A pastor said Saturday that church leaders were trying to heal an autistic 8-year-old boy when he inexplicably stopped breathing and died during a prayer service Friday night.

During the hourlong session, the boy's feet and hands were restrained by his mother and other church members who prayed intensely for his violent tendencies to cease, the pastor's wife said.

"He just passed away," Pastor David Hemphill said of the boy. "God is a mysterious person, and if he wants to call a life back, he does."

<http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/Midwest/08/24/autisticboy.death.ap/index.html>

[AnnabelLee]

1. I want to see what an autopsy finds

Was this child asphyxiated?:-(

[AngryWhiteLiberal]

2. Probably...same thing happens in excessive police restraint cases n/t

JB

[joshdawg]

3. Same here.

This is awfully fishy. Restrained the kid? Heck, he was only trying to breathe. Geez!!!
Someone needs to answer for this one.

[QuietStorm]

5. they'd been abusing this boy they did not love his Autism I suppose

Their God didn't like it either!


"She called it an exorcism," Allison said. "She said they held him down for almost two hours. He couldn't hardly breathe, and that shocked (Cooper). Then she said the devil started to speak through Junior's voice -- though he can't really speak -- saying, 'Kill me. Take me.' "

Allison began to notice that each time the group gathered in the apartment, Torrance would screech, wail and cry. She and other neighbors noticed Torrance had a fattened lip and black eye the days after at-home prayer sessions, she said.

Once, Allison said, she looked through her friend's window and saw church members taking turns striking the boy with a belt as Cooper watched.

[QuietStorm]

4. could loosely full under the category of eugenics

at least the mention of bush in the title brings that to mind for me. He isn't mentioned in the article. I skimmed it fast though. This is some scary stuff.


"I said, 'Well, God just took him,' " he said.

It is amazing what barbarity these fanatics do in the name of their god.

[AngryWhiteLiberal]

7. I mentioned Bush in the thread title because of his Faith-based Initiative

This horrible incident is EXACTLY the kind of crap that will happen with more frequency if Bush's idiotic push for faith-based mental health treatment goes through or is implemented further.

Bear in mind, under faith-based approaches to mental health treatment, Bush's plans will NOT require substantiation of the efficacy of treatment nor licensure of mental health pseudo-professionals. So, the "holding/exorcism" therapy used in this sick incident would not be necessarily banned under a faith-based treatment program.

Religious Nutballs Leading Us Back to the 15th Century...with Bush as the Tour Guide.

JB

[AnnabelLee]

8. Truly frightening

What is that bumpersticker...'Lord, save me from your followers'?

[liberalhistorian]

6. "He just passed away?"

An eight-year-old child just "passes away?" I don't fucking think so! My own pastor would have an absolute fit over this story, and he sure as hell wouldn't dismiss something like this by saying "he just passed away, if God wants to call a life back, he does."

NO, God didn't "call a life back", the child was murdered by asphyxiation and everyone involved, including the mother, should be charged!

[0007]

11. I whole heartily agree

Each everyone that had a hand in the murder.

[Pert_UK]

9. "God is a mysterious person"

Sorry, no, God is not a person. You have failed the Pastoral Examination, please feel free to re-take the test next year when we will be happy to reconsider your application for Priesthood.

"and if he wants to call a life back, he does."

SORRY GUYS, MY BAD! I HADN'T QUITE GOT THAT ONE RIGHT. I'LL JUST TAKE HIM BACK TO THE REPAIR SHOP AND HAVE ANOTHER GO.

It genuinely scares me when people are able to write-off a child's life so calmly, just because they've got religion.

P.

[aquart]

10. These people don't know they're monsters.

They think they're just good, plain folks, doing the Lord's work as best they can.

I'm pretty sure they used to throw children into the flames of Moloch in exactly that same spirit.

[RainDog]

12. America the murderous

"Allison began to notice that each time the group gathered in the apartment, Torrance would screech, wail and cry. She and other neighbors noticed Torrance had a fattened lip and black eye the days after at-home prayer sessions, she said.

Once, Allison said, she looked through her friend's window and saw church members taking turns striking the boy with a belt as Cooper watched.

"I told Pat that it was wrong, but she said the Bible told her you're supposed to chastise your children," Allison said. "I told her to stop, told her what could a little kid ever do that was so wrong to beat him like that? She said the church told her it was the only way to heal him." "

The mother of this autistic child was trying to survive on social security checks.

I've worked with severely autistic children, and it is exhausting, and that's just as someone who helps, not the parent of a child with such needs.

Thanks, Bush, thanks, Republicans, for such compassion toward your fellow Americans.

I met a grandmother last week who takes care of her autistic grandson while her son works. He makes too much money for assistance, but can't afford to pay for services.

The grandmother was in tears because of the stress of dealing with her grandson on a daily basis.

This "church" should be boarded up, the "ministers" should be tossed in jail and investigated for this and other abusive acts, which apparently have already been witnessed.

This child could not protect or defend himself against these evil, horrible people who could not accept him as an autistic person.

I cannot believe that idiots in this day and age can think that autistic children are "demon possessed."

I want to throw up to know there are people who do this to others in the name of god.

I want to throw up that people in this rich nation are so mean-spirited and greedy that they cannot make sure that such a child has adequate care.

[Guaranteed]

13. Makes me very angry....

to think of the terror this child must have felt, being held down, not being able to breath, crying out for help and no one listening, just suffocating him.
I hope they're wrong when they said it took an hour....
Yeah, someone needs to pay for this. Big time.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

14. and these insane fuckers have hold of our gov't and laying on its hands

and killing usand the world too :scared:

[karlschneider]

15. So...they called 911 -after- this child had croaked? Faith didn't work,

apparently so they decided to try something that might. Got it. All I have to say now is that these despicable motherfuckers are in Wisconsin and I'm 800 miles away. I have devices able to deal with that kind of evil.
:grr:

[ZenLefty]

16. Hi AngryWhiteLiberal,

When posting in LBN, please use the article's title as the subject of your post.

"Leaders were trying to heal boy who died during prayer, pastor says"

Thanks.

ZenLefty
DU Moderator